Pasta con Asparagus

The cool part about this recipe is how the egg yolks are added to the tomato sauce to make it like a rich carbonara. This amazing pasta was everything we wanted in a quick weeknight meal and more. It came together in a snap and tasted of lush, rich tomatoes, fresh asparagus, and fresh pasta.


Ingredients

• 1 ½ pounds fresh asparagus
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground pepper
• 2 ½ tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
• ¾ pound penne
• 2 egg yolks, beaten well
• ½ grated Parmesan

Instructions

1. Make sure all of the ingredients for this recipe are prepared before you turn on the stove.
2. Melt the butter in a large skillet and add the asparagus pieces, salt and pepper. Cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are crisp and tender. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
3. Add the garlic and oil to the pan and cook until the garlic is lightly browned all over. Discard the garlic. Then, pour in the tomatoes, parsley, basil, and more salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the penne for 7 minutes, or until al dente.
5. Pour a little bit of the tomato sauce into the beaten egg yolks and whisk well to temper them. Then pour the egg yolk mixture into the tomatoes and whisk it well so the yolks don’t curdle. Then, drain the pasta and toss it into the tomato sauce, add the asparagus, cheese, and serve!